Away From Here
by musicguyismymummy
Summary: Katrina's home life is terrible, with abusive parents and a forced life of slavery. She looks to a past she once loved, and hopes for a childhood memory to save her.
1. Chapter 1

Prologue and Disclaimer

            I do not own Peter Pan, or any other of J .M. Barrie's wonderful creations. 

Also, my parents are nowhere near abusive.  My character needed a reason to be saved, so I used my hyperactive brain to give her one. 

I do not want cops at my house accusing my wonderful parents of abuse or neglect. This is only a story. Fiction. Nothing more, and most certainly nothing less. 

Thank you.

Sincerely, and with best regards,

Katrina

Chapter one 

     Peter Pan. Katrina Schafer had heard the stories all throughout her childhood, and always had a firm belief in them.  Whenever her parents had been fighting, or right after they had beaten her emotionally and physically, she would always sit at her window and wait for Peter.  Just waiting for him to take her away from her miserable life.

     That time never came. She waited until she was thirteen, and put away her dreams of childhood for the pleasures of any other preteen girl.  Music, boys, and school were the only things that filled her mind, and she forgot the childish dreams that she had when she was once young enough to believe.

     Her life had gone smoothly enough for her in that thirteenth year, but then the tables turned.  Her parents started fighting, threatening divorce, and screaming at each other at the most trivial of things.  Her mother turned hellish, snapping orders at her, and throwing snide comments at everything Katrina did.   Her father turned the other way. He went for the physical abuse, slapping her or hitting her if she even answered in the wrong way.  She survived this torture for three more years, never remembering the person who had always seemed to calm her fears. 

     She was cleaning her room after one of the horrific screaming matches her parents had directed her way; which had ended in her being sentenced to her room for an indeterminable amount of days.  Crying softly, she stumbled upon a drawing she had made when she was ten.  The picture showed a grinning boy, clad all in green, looking as though he had all the answers, but the only catch was that you had to play a game to get them.

     All the memories came flooding back into Katrina's mind. Memories of staring up into the night sky, counting out the stars, always trying to find the second star to the right, wondering if the one right beside it was Neverland.

     Katrina quickly put down the picture, and dug through her dresser drawers, to find the cherished copy of the book she once loved. 

_     "I must be crazy," _she thought while digging deeper. _"Sixteen years old, and looking for some fairy-tale book from my past."_  Suddenly, she pulled a well-worn copy of _Peter Pan_ out of the drawer.

     She turned to the first page, and read the tattered introduction page. 

The page read:

"Second to the right," Peter said, "and straight on till morning" 

That's where the Neverland was, the home of lost boys and the fairies and the pirates and the redskins.   That's where they would find the mermaid's lagoon, and the ticking crocodile, and the dreadful Captain Hook himself.  

     Katrina read on, finding herself enchanted with the familiar story. 

When Peter pleaded "Wendy, Wendy, when you are sleeping in your silly bed, you might be flying about with me, saying funny things to the stars," how could Wendy possibly resist?  So onto the wind's back they jumped, and away they flew, to what marvelous land very few children see when they are awake.

     Katrina smiled to herself. Shutting the book, she told herself, "I remember.  I remember endless nights of sitting up past my bedtime, waiting to see if I could hear panpipes.  I remember whenever I saw a flash of light reflected off of a watch I thought it was Tinkerbell."  She sighed, looking at her watch.  10:43, and her parents were still yelling.  She heard her father bellow, "Go to bed." so she quietly changed into her faded green flowered nightdress and crawled underneath the covers.  

     As she drifted off into the land of sleep, she thought she heard tinkling noises, and the faint notes of a panpipe.

     Peter Pan landed softly outside of a house in Phoenix, Arizona.  He heard yelling coming from the front room, so he jumped over the house and landed in the backyard.  He peeked into one of the windows. He saw nothing but closed drapes. He knew that this bedroom must belong to a grownup, because grownups never wanted anyone seeing into their lives, or let anyone see their true selves.   He stepped over a broken rope swing to look into the only other window that was there.  As it was the summer, and they were in Phoenix, that window was open, allowing a cool breeze to blow in.  

     In the pale moonlight, Peter saw a girl of sixteen, curled up into a tight ball underneath the bedcovers.  She had a look of pain on her face, and every time Peter heard a crash coming from the living room, he noticed the girl would flinch.

     Peter felt sorrow in his heart for this girl, and wanted to save her from the trouble she was in.   He pulled his dagger from his belt, and raised it up to the screen.  Just then, he felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle.  He glanced around slowly, coming face to face with a growling dog.  Peter jumped quickly, narrowly missing a bite to the hindquarters. 

     "Wretched dog!  Pretty darned inconsiderate, if you ask me, Tink." Peter snarled to the tinkling fairy, as he sat, crouched on the roof.  "Quit laughing! We have to get her out of here!" Peter said to the fairy, as he floated off the house, starting the journey back to Neverland.   

_"Here we go again…" _Tink thought in her tiny pixie mind, as she flew quickly to keep up with Peter.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two      Katrina awoke to the sounds of yelling coming from the kitchen. 

     "Where's our breakfast?" her mom screamed, throwing a spatula at her.  

     _"Oh crap."  _Katrina thought as she tied her hair up, getting ready to make pancakes for her parents. _"I woke up late."_ She glanced at the clock. _"9:30!_ _I can't let that happen again."_

     "Hurry up and make our breakfast, you ungrateful little brat." Her father growled at her, his filthy breath wafting up to her nose.   "12 years we waited on you hand and foot!  Now it is our turn for a change!"

     "Yes sir." She said, getting down the mix for pancakes. 

     After breakfast was done and the dishes were washed, Katrina was dismissed to go back to her room.  As she was cleaning, she noticed the book sitting by the bed

     "Hah." She said as, as she picked up the book.  "I had strange dreams all night long because of you.  And on top of that, I didn't get much sleep because of Bingo's barking."  She sighed, and opened the book again.  "But, I guess I can fit some reading time into my schedule."

     She read all about Peter Pan and Wendy, and the Neverland.  "I would like to go there," she thought to herself, "but it is only a story. No one really stops growing up, do they?"   Just then, her mother screamed for her to come clean the bathroom, so her thoughts were interrupted until another moment. 

Meanwhile, in Neverland, Peter was facing a dilemma. 

     "How can we get that dog out of there?" he questioned his troops of the lost boys. 

     " You can stab it! One of the boys yelled, delighted at his idea.

     "Too risky." Peter concluded. "The dog might yelp, causing the parents to find out."  He saw a small hand timidly raised in the back.

     "Yes tootles? Peter asked, motioning him to the front of the group.

     "You might stare at it, like you did with the lions." Tootles suggested, remembering a time when peter has faced a pack of lions, only to force them into retreating by a staring contest.

     "I tried that last night." Peter said, remembering how close the dog had gotten to taking a pound of flesh. "It didn't work." 

     "You stupid boys!" Tinkerbell yelled, flying out of her bedroom.  "All you have to do is distract the dog long enough to get the girl out!"

     "Brilliant, Tink!" Peter whooped as he flew around the room triumphantly.  "And since you're the one who suggested it, I'll let you do it!"

     Tinkerbell twirled around in shock after she heard this. "Not me!" She chimed in Peter's ear, tugging on a piece of hair. "Not me!"

     "Yes. My mind is made up. As I fly in to get the girl, you distract the dog." Peter stated boldly.  "And no arguments."

     "You silly ass!" Tink yelled as she flew back into her room, fuming.  

Back in Arizona, Katrina had been banished to her room again. 

     "Stupid parents, stupid life, stupid everything!" she cried, flinging herself down onto the bed.  "Why do I have to go on living here?  Why?"  she yelled, trying to forget the scene that had progressed earlier that evening.

     She had done her duties, as told, cleaning the bathroom and even waxing the floors for good measure.  Yet, nothing ever seemed to satisfy her parents.  Even though she had cleaned the bathroom top to bottom, her parents made up reasons to get mad at her.

     "You barely scratched the surface!" her mom yelled, wiping the sparkling clean countertop.  When she couldn't find a speck of dirt, she got even angrier.  "You hardly earn your keep around here!  You are a worthless piece of ignorant trash!"

    "In fact, " her father said as he stepped closer, "we didn't even want you." 

    "What?" Katrina whispered as she felt her heart snap in two. 

    "Your father and I didn't want to have kids, but after we got married, nine months later here you were." Her mom said, crossing her arms.   "We tried to put you up for adoption, but the paperwork didn't go through.  We _had_ to keep you." 

After that last sentence, Katrina had run to her room, not wanting to hear any more of the horrible truth.

    So that was where she was now, in her room at eleven fifty-three P.M., trying to figure her life out.  She had almost given up hope, but decided to go to bed and see how things turned out in the morning.

    With all that had gone on that day, she hadn't gotten the laundry done, so she changed into the same faded nightdress that she had worn the previous night.  She had barely gotten to sleep when she heard a noise.  She pulled back the curtains and peeked outside. She saw her dog going wild, but didn't see anything suspicious, so she lay back down and wished for sleep again.

    Tinkerbell flew wildly, trying to distract the dog that was chasing after her.  Finally she flew toward the back gate, threw the latch, and soared down the alleyway, with the dog in full pursuit. 

     While Tinkerbell was diverting the dog's attention, Peter quickly flew to the window and slit the screen.  He flew in, and saw the girl wasn't in her bed. _Where could she—_His thought was cut off by a flying shoe hurtling towards his head. He jumped quickly, the shoe only missing him by centimeters.   He swiftly flew to the closet, where the shoe was hurled from, only to find Katrina sitting there. 

Katrina saw the closet door open, and looked up to see a boy of about sixteen looking down at her.  She wiped the tears out of her eyes so she could get a better look at him. He had reddish-brown hair, and deep green eyes the color of the forest. He had a permanent smirk on his face, although at this moment it looked worried and confused.

     "Who are you?" she asked, fully knowing who he was, but not wanting to believe it.

     "Peter Pan." He answered, offering her his hand to help her out of the closet.


	3. Chapter 3

_*My first Author's Note!  I have received a question concerning Peter's appearance, wondering if he is based on Disney or on my own minds-eye view of Peter Pan.  In this story, he is, in fact, based on my own picturing of him. So, I shall try to describe him as best I can here. Thanks for reading, and please review. Katrina*_ Chapter Three 

     Katrina took the hand of the mysterious boy, and studied his features for a moment.  He had slightly mussed hair, ginger to the eye, but if examined closely, one could tell that there were strands of gold and auburn closely intermingled.  Her eyes traveled further down his face, and met with eyes the color of a polished emerald.  His eyes sparkled as he gazed at the girl before him, wondering if she would try to wound him with the shoe she held in her other hand.

     "May I have that?" Peter asked tentatively, pointing to the sneaker she held.  Finding that the girl couldn't speak because she was crying, he removed the potential weapon from her hand.

     "Why are you crying?"  He asked, oblivious to the sounds of fighting in the other room. 

     "My parents don't—don't…" She trailed off, moving to sit on the bed. "My parents don't want me. They never did! I just want to leave!" 

     "Forever?"  Peter asked hopefully, sitting down beside her.  

     "Yes.  Forever." She supposed, thinking of the benefits of leaving.  Suddenly, a thought occurred to her.  "Peter, why are you here?"

     He shifted uncomfortably, then started his story.  "I was flying with Tink, and heard yelling. I landed here, and thought that you might need saving.  You see, I used to come to your window when you were younger, just to see what was going on in your life.  Remember when you used to sit at your window after your parents would fight?  You would read stories, and I would hear them."

     All of a sudden Katrina recalled reading numerous books of fairy tales by her window, and sat quietly as Peter continued his story.

     "You would read at least five a night, and that would give me stories to last a whole month to tell the Lost Boys."  Peter whispered with a chuckle.

     Just then, they heard the yelling getting louder and closer.  Peter could see Katrina starting to tense up, and become panicky.

     "Katrina, you have to get out of here! Come with me to Neverland!" Peter whispered anxiously, hearing her parents coming closer to her room.  "Make the decision, now or never!" he declared, grabbing her hand and pulling her towards the window.

     Recollections of the evening's events started to flood her mind.

     _"We didn't even want you."_

_     "We had to keep you."_

     "Didn't want to have kids"  
     "Here you were--"

She clutched Peter's hand, and said firmly, "I want to go!"  

Peter didn't have time to find Tinkerbell and her pixie dust so that Katrina could fly, so he just picked her up and started for the window.  Just then, the door flew open, and Katrina's parents came into the room in a blinding fury.  

     "Fly, Peter!" Katrina yelled, terrified of the wrath of her parents.  With that, Peter launched from the bedroom window, narrowly missing the tree outside, soaring into the dark night sky, leaving Katrina's parents bewildered at what they had just seen.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four 

     In the warm night air, Peter stopped abruptly and hovered, looking around for something.

     "What is it Peter?" Katrina asked.

     "I forgot about Tinkerbell!" He announced, finally remembering that the tiny pixie had accompanied him on this journey.

     At that moment, a small ball of light fluttered toward him.  

     "That—stupid—dog—chased me—_everywhere_!" Tinkerbell gasped in Peter's ear.  " I almost give him credit for dedication!" she said with an air of stubbornness.

     Peter and Katrina had quite a laugh at that, Peter first, since only he could understand Tinkerbell's fairy tongue, and Katrina only after he had translated for her.  Then, the three of them took off into the sky, headed for the second star to the right, and straight on 'till morning.

     One might have thought that in this story we had forgotten about the Pirates. Well, pirates can never quite be forgotten for very long, and they soon have a way of resurfacing time and again in a story.

  One is never quite certain in the stories of Neverland the true origin of the pirates. Some have said that they were just regular pirates, blown off course by some bizarre hurricane, ending up on the Island of Neverland.   And yet there are still some who differ, saying that the pirates are the prodigy of Peter's mischievous imagination.  Since Peter holds the key to Neverland, he might have thought up the prospect of having pirates, and dreamed them into Neverland, therefore giving him an eternal "playmate", by the name of Captain James Hook.  

     However the case may be, whether they strayed there or were willed to the Neverland by Peter, there are pirates residing in Neverland, and they have recently grown quite uneasy over Peter's absence.

     "Smee! Where is that confounded boy?" A voice rings out from the shadows of the Jolly Rodger. "It has been far too long since he has disgraced these decks with his presence!"  The voice grew louder as a dark pirate stepped out onto the main deck of the evil ship.  One hand fiddled endlessly with a crumpled handkerchief, while the other hand was nowhere to be seen. In its stead, there was a silver hook, honed to a sharp point, with a menacing shine to it that glinted in the bright sun.  

     "He has been to the other world, Mr. Hook, sir­–" Smee started, trying to soothe the frustrated captain.

     "That's all we need! Another blasted Wendy trying to be the boy's mother! When will it stop?" the captain shouted at the old bo'sun. 

     "Sir, might I suggest something?" Smee said, trying to ease the captain's frustration. "Instead us of trying to blow him out of the sky like he is always goading us to do, why don't we just try something a little more subtle, eh?"

     "I am tired of playing games with that scalawag boy!" Hook shouted.  "Just for once I wish to be back on the open seas, instead of here fighting a infant!" He slammed his hook down on the rail of the ship, and being in the open sun, we now see his face. It was blackened by the hatred for Pan, and his skin was tanned and leathery.  It was now twisted into a cynical smile as he muttered, "and losing to him, too."   

     "Don't worry, Captain," Smee consoled, "one day that Pan boy will make a wrong move, and we will be back to our old tricks again!"  He became more animated as he spoke, moving about and acting as though he was still looting and robbing ships.  "We'll come back with a bang, with all the finery and frivolities that we deserve! We will once again fight to the death with the ships, with the cannonballs flying, and the gunpowder, and swords–"

     "Oh do shut up, you undersized oaf!" Hook roared. "You know as well as I do that we will be stuck here till the end of time, catering to that boy's every whim!"  An idea struck him and he began to stroke his hook lovingly. "I wish that I could cut that boy's throat, and end this madness, but even you–" He indicated Smee with a wave of his hook, "know that the ties that bind us to Neverland are stronger than life itself!"  

With that, he turned, and started pacing towards the cowering Smee.  

     "If only I could kill that little flying devil, then we could be free of this dratted place!"  He had started back towards his cabin, but then turned quickly back to face Smee.

     "What did you say about being more subtle in our methods?" he asked wickedly.

     "Only that we should try another way of killin' him, sir." Smee stammered, terrified at the thought of the hook clawing him because of a wrong answer.

     "How do you mean, 'Another way' " Hook questioned, tracing the small man's nose with the tip of his hook.  Smee stuttered and stammered, trying to think of different ways to do it.

     "Come now, do tell the hook what you mean." Hook purred to his shining claw.  "How can we kill that boy?"

     "Well, we have been tryin' to shoot him for as long as I can remember, sir, so why don't we try poisoning him?"  Smee suggested, grateful that the idea had finally come back into his mind.  

     "And who's to say that the little fairy will not drink it again?" Hook said as he took a small vial out of his coat.  "I only have a limited supply of this toxin, so whatever we do has to work the _first _time!"

     Meanwhile, Katrina, Peter and Tink had landed on a cloud, to tired from flying to continue any further.

     "Where did you go with the dog, Tink?" Peter asked, curious to find out what had happened to the dog.

     "He chased me around the backyard for the longest time, then finally I saw the back gate, and opened the latch.  Where he went from there, I still have yet to learn." Tinkerbell retold the tale, using her language of tiny little bells and chimes.  Katrina had started to move about, looking downward on the glimmering lights of the city.

     "Do you think they will miss me?" she wondered aloud, thinking of the life she had left behind.  She sat on the edge of the cloud, looking at the traffic driving on the freeway.  

     Peter noticed that she had wandered to the edge of the cloud, and hovered a bit behind her.  She turned around suddenly, and not knowing he was there, jumped back a bit, sliding off the edge of the cloud.  She screamed, fearful of falling to her death, but at the same time wondering if it would be better that way. As she fell, she passed out, never knowing what the results of her descent would be.


	5. Chapter 5

*Authors note-Just to let some of my reviewers (I love you guys!) know, Tink isn't jealous because she has gotten used to having Peter bring girls home to be a mother, and she has sort of gotten over her "hissy fits". Now Peter sees her as a sort of sisterly figure. *

Chapter Five

_Falling. _That's all that Katrina remembered before she blacked out. It wasn't an unusual feeling, it was just one of the more unpleasant ones that she had endured.  She fell farther and farther, feeling the wind whistle around her, the forces of gravity pulling her toward the ground.  

     Peter dove after the falling girl, not taking time to fly, but more like plummeting himself.  He couldn't let her fall, and yet she seemed just out of his grasp. _ Come on, just a little bit closer…_ he thought as he reached for her falling body.  He put on a burst of speed, and caught her right before she fell into the highway traffic. 

     _What have you been through?_ he wondered, flying towards Neverland, the unconscious girl in his arms.

     Katrina fell, her unconscious mind whirling.  _Finally, _she thought, _I can escape—_she hit something with a thud, and her thoughts swirled to nothingness. 

      "SMEE!" a voice bellowed from the hull of the _Jolly Rodger_, "where is that whiskey?"  

     A bedraggled Smee emerged from the cook's quarters holding a pint of the ships best whiskey.  "Right here Cap'n!" he said, holding up the bottle.  "Had to wrestle this away from the cook, but here it is!  Your own special brand of whiskey!"  He stopped suddenly, and looked at the bottle.  "What did you want this for, anyway, sir?"

     "My plan, you idiot! " Hook yelled at the first mate.   "Pan is a child!  Not just any child, but he is the pure essence of innocence! If he drinks with me, it is his first step towards becoming a man! You see, he will be forced to become the very thing he hates!" he paused for a minute. "At the very least, it might just poison him."  Hook laughed at the prospect of ridding himself of the boy forever.                      

     "Just think, Smee," he snarled. "When we sever all ties to Neverland, we will be able to go home, back to the open seas, where we will strike terror once again!"

     Peter flew around the backside of the island, not wanting to risk being shot at by Hook. He landed in a grassy field, full of Neverberry flowers.  Tink landed on his shoulder, and whispered, "Is she alright?"

     "I don't know Tink, I think she is just unconscious, but she could be out for a while."  Peter whispered as he felt her forehead and around her face for signs of a fever.  Katrina stirred, showing signs of regaining consciousness.  

     "Tink, I'm worried about her." Peter said, looking at the bruised arms of the girl in front of him.  "What did those grownups do to her?"  He leaned closer, and whispered in her ear, "I'll never let them hurt you again.  I swear it." A faint glow emitted from the heart area of the young boy.  "Tink! What's happening?" he cried, tentatively touching his chest.  Tink sighed and looked at him.  "You swore to take care of her. With all technicalities, that bids her to Neverland." Tinkerbell looked into Peter's eyes.  "Actually, it binds her to you."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six 

    "It does what?" Peter murmured, still staring at the beams of light coming from his heart.

     "Peter, did you ever wonder how Hook got here? Why he doesn't just leave at a moments notice?" Tink said, floating closer to the adolescent.  "He is bound to Neverland, same as you and I. You brought him here, someway or another and he is as much a part of you as you are to Neverland."

     "But I still don't understand—" Peter started.

     "What I am trying to tell you is that she—"Tink pointed, indicating Katrina's motionless body, " is now a part of Neverland.  You bound her here by your promise to take care of her."

     "But I promised the same for Wendy, and all the other girls I brought here Tink, so why didn't they stay?" Peter inquired.

     "Because. They all had reasons to go back to the real world.  They had families that loved them, people to take care of them… she had nothing, absolutely nothing to tie her back to the real world."

     Just then, Katrina began to stir, causing Peter and Tink to look back at her.

     "What…Who…Where am I?"  She asked, looking around slowly.  "Gah!" she screamed, seeing the light coming from Peter.  "Are you…what did…are you okay?" she stuttered, not comprehending why he was glowing.

     "Um… Katrina—" he stammered, pointing to her.  "The same is happening to you!"  He clamped his hand over her mouth, stopping the confused Katrina from crying out.  "Tink, will you please explain?"

     Tinkerbell flew in front of them, and seated herself on a rather large toadstool.  "When Neverland was first created, it needed creatures to live on it.  There were the fairies, and the mystical creatures that found the island and inhabited it.  For many years, the fairies lived in the human world, occupying the many gardens and woods that were in the land.  One of the more preferred gardens was Kensington gardens, where you came from, Peter.  Now, the fairy population was becoming overcrowded in Kensington Gardens, so they set sail for other places.  A hurricane blew in from the North, blowing the fairies off course. Next thing they knew, they were on an uninhabited island, what we now know as Neverland. After a few days in Neverland, the explorers set out to find our old home, but this time their means of transportation was by flying.  What they found was that they could fly between Neverland and the real world quite easily, allowing them to live wherever they would like.  How you came about, Peter; is that you did not want to grow up, and ran away the day you were born. I happened to find you, and brought you to Neverland.  You 'grew up', so to speak, in Neverland, and were so steeped in the fairy language, magic, and culture that we decided to make you the leader of Neverland. All rights went to you; all powers concerning Neverland went to you, and most of the magic of Neverland.  Whatever you wish to be in Neverland is here, and whatever you bind to Neverland stays." Tink paused for breath. "In your case," she said, addressing Katrina, "Peter swore to take care of you. He meant it truly, and since you have no ties to the real world anymore, you are now a part of Neverland.  Peter has woven you into the very fabric that holds the Neverland together. Welcome to our world, Katrina."  With that, Tinkerbell flew around Katrina, fully saturating her with pixie dust.  

     "I don't understand it." Katrina questioned. "How can I understand you, Tink? When we left, Peter had to translate. Now when we are here, I can understand what you are saying!"  

     Tinkerbell giggled in a high pealing laugh.  "Did you not listen to what I just said? You are now a part of the Neverland! You can understand the language of fairies, fly, and have all the mystical powers that come with being here!"

     "But—I, —I have ties to home! I know my parents still feel _something_ for me, don't they?" she reasoned.   

     Peter and Tinkerbell looked at each other mournfully.  Tinkerbell flew closer to Peter, with a look in her eyes.  "Peter," she approached the subject cautiously, "do you remember the grove that we went to after Wendy had left, when you were so sad?"

     Peter nodded his head, ever so slowly.  "Of course I do."

     Tinkerbell looked at him forlornly.  "We have to go there again."


	7. Chapter 7

_*Author's note:  I'm sorry if this chapter doesn't make any sense, it was written at three in the morning.  I was bored, Peter was getting on my nerves, and I thought it was high time Peter got his butt kicked. Laters! Katrina*_ Chapter 7 

The three set out on their journey after they had eaten a lunch of mammee-apples and breadfruit, and while walking through the Neverland jungle Tinkerbell explained Katrina's newfound powers.

     "You have the ability to fly without being 'dusted' so often, but you still have to have a happy thought." Tinkerbell explained, floating in front of them. 

     "So they're like Peter's, but only to a certain extent." Katrina reasoned. 

     "Right." said Tinkerbell.  "Now, you can fly, but not quite like Peter."

     "But how can that be? I thought that I had all the same abilities as Peter!" a bewildered Katrina exclaimed, whirling to face Peter.

     "I'm just special!" Peter flaunted in her face, his tongue sticking out at her.

Katrina was about to comment on how childish he was acting, and how mature he was being, but then suddenly realized where she was, and whom she was with.  That look irritated her to no end, and even though she had only met him a short while ago, she wanted to do something about it. A plan formulated in her brain, weaving its good ideas in her mind.  A funny smirk came to her face, and she grabbed for Peter's tongue, while her other hand grabbed his dagger.  

     "Alright, bird-boy, if you are so much better, then why do you have your feet on the ground? Shouldn't we be flying?" she grinned wildly.  Grabbing for the nearest tree branch, she scrambled up the tree, and sat on the branch.  

     "Aren't you going to come get me?" she called down to him.  "Or am I going to have to fly down and cut that silly tongue right out of your head?"  

     "You don't know how to fly!"  Peter tried to tell her, but she would have none of it.  She kept climbing higher and higher, and finally Peter had to fly up to her to keep Tinkerbell from hysterics.

     "She's going to kill herself!" Tink yelled at Peter. "Do something!" 

     "You forgot," Peter said, floating behind Katrina.  "You have to have your happy thought, and the dust."

     "Go down and get some, so that I can!" Katrina instructed him.

     "What if you fall while I'm down there?"

     "What if I don't?" She countered, raising his own dagger against him. 

     "Why are you doing this?"  Peter questioned her, worry showing in his eyes.  For a moment, Katrina almost felt sorry for him, but then saw the impish spark in his eyes starting to show.  She ducked quickly, missing his sudden grab for the forgotten dagger in her hand, but also slipping on the mossy wood.  She fell again, fully expecting her new flying mechanism to kick in, but somehow it did not.  In the short instant, she tried to remember any, if not all, memories she had that were good.

_     "__You are a worthless piece of ignorant trash!"_

     _"We didn't even want you." _

_     "We had to keep you."_

Peter's arms caught her before she hit a limb.  "See? Now what would you do without me?" he joked, taking back his dagger and putting it back into it's rightful place.

Katrina looked up into her rescuers' sparkling eyes, and pulled his head down closer to hers. 

    "Thank you…" she whispered, snaking a hand up to the back of his head.

    "For what?" Peter asked, getting very nervous.

    "This!" she replied, smacking the back of his head with a resounding thump.

*Yet another author's note!  Brizy, this is your chapter!  He doesn't get killed, but at least he got some sense slapped into him!  Muahahaha…J*


	8. Chapter 8

 Chapter 8 

     While Peter was recovering from the numerous head injuries he had received from a very annoyed Katrina, Tinkerbell was leading them to a leafy cove, full of several large, flat rocks.   The rocks were standing on end, the flat surface pointing out to face the middle of the cove.  When the group walked into the middle of the circle, Katrina noticed a very unusual thing.

     The rocks were glowing, and had people moving about in them. 

     "Smee!  Where is that accursed brat?" Hook yelled at the top of his lungs, pacing the ship like a madman, his eyes glowing red with hate.

    "I don't know, sir, the crew says they haven't seen him for a few days." Smee replied, swabbing the blood off of the deck.  That morning, Hook had been in such a rage over the missing Pan that he killed several pirates, just for looking at him strangely.  In fact, it was almost better for the crew of the Jolly Rodger if Pan was there to bother Hook, just to keep the captains' anger away from them.  Pan was the only one who could see the captain at his best, fighting and in peak condition, always with good form.  Hook wanted desperately to see Peter show bad form, and strived his hardest to achieve it.    

     "He must be back! The sun and the beasts are out and about, everything is in bloom, and I have just seen the Indians on the warpath."  Hook alleged.  Smee shook his head respectfully, and looked up to his captain. 

    "Shall I get out Long Tom?" he asked hopefully.

    "No!" the captain yelled, "We must have a different approach, you oaf!" Hook sneered, looking about him. "I don't even think he is on this part of the island."

Hook didn't know how right he was in his guess, since as we know, Peter and his charges are in the farthest point on the island away from Hooks' ship.

As Katrina looked around, she gazed into the mirror-like surfaces of the rocks.  "Peter," she questioned, "why are there people in there?

Tink answered her, gesturing at the rocks encircling them.  "These are looking glasses into the real world.  There is one here for every child that has been to Neverland, showing what is happening back in the real world at that moment."

Katrina rushed over to a small stone, looking into it.  "This must be Michaels'." she murmured, brushing her hand over it lightly.

     "And this is Wendy's" Peter said tenderly, polishing the dust off a prim looking rock with the hem of his shirt.  "They all have characteristic features the same as the person who belongs to them." he informed her, tipping the rock back to it's rightful place near a small lagoon.  

     "Then, this must be…. Tootles!" Katrina guessed.  " And this is Nibs, and Slightly, and the twins…. and this one is—" she stopped rather abruptly, looking into a rock the same height as her.  

    "Me."

     "Yes Katrina, that one is you." Tink said, confirming her suspicions.  "It is showing what's going on at this very moment at your house, what your parents are thinking, and what is going on in the world around them.  I will give you some time alone, to see what is there." Tink suggested, turning and flying towards Peter, pulling him with her. 

     "Er… can Peter stay?"  Katrina asked, since she was very afraid of the things she might see in her mirror.

     Tink whirled around, looking at Katrina "Usually you have to do this alone—" 

     "Tink, she's new to this area, and besides, the pirates might be around here."  Peter cajoled, giving his best "trust me" smile to the pixie.

     "You silly ass.  Go. " Tink laughed at him, pinching his reddening cheek.  Peter mouthed "thank you" to Tink, and flew back to the cove of mirrors.  He found Katrina looking into Wendy's mirror, waving her hand in front of it and peering into the rippling surface of the rock.  

     "Why can't I see anything in Wendy's mirror?" Katrina asked, still standing with her back facing him. 

     "Tink said that it was for the _children_ who have been to Neverland.  Wendy grew up, and when you grow up, eventually you die." Peter explained, looking into the glass.   "Once in a while I see little glimpses of life from the mirror, whenever her great-great-great-great-grandchildren think of her, but other than that, it is blank."

     "Oh, I'm sorry." Katrina murmured, looking at the saddened Peter.  

     "It's okay." He said, jumping over to another mirror.  "What is going on in this one?"  he asked himself, looking deep into the wonders of the mirror.

     "Wait," Katrina recalled, doing a double take.  "That one is mine."  She walked over to where Peter was standing, and bent down to see what was happening.  She saw her living room, with parents sitting at the table writing something.  

     "Peter, can I see what they are writing?" she asked gently.

     "Sure." he whispered, taking her hand.  He located a small spot on the base of the stone, and pushed it gently, allowing the mirror to grow bigger.  It finally grew so large that they could both walk into the living room, and look over the parent's shoulders.  Peter read quietly into Katrina's ear,  "The hereby parties Sarah Amberliayn Newvilian and Earl Richard Schafer wish to henceforth end their marriage of sixteen years, the reason being that the child holding them together died of unknown causes as of last Tuesday…" he stopped, looking back at Katrina.  "Do you want to hear any more?" he questioned softly.   

     "Tink was right."  Katrina realized, stepping backwards, a solitary tear rolling down her cheek.  "How far do the powers of the mirror go?  Can I go to other rooms of the house?  Can I take things out of the house?"

     "I think you can go into the other rooms, but I don't know about taking things out of the house." Peter shrugged,  "but you can try."  They walked and flew to the hallway, Katrina taking the path that she had taken so often back to her room.  

She opened the door quietly, as not to alert the parents.  As she stepped inside, she noticed that some of her possessions were missing, and that her room seemed emptier than it used to be.  

     "They are cleaning it out." Katrina said, walking to where the bed used to be.  Peter hopped up, floating horizontally at about the same height the bed would be, his arms crossed under his head and his feet crossed at the ankles.

     "Comfy." he smirked, sitting up.  "Why do you want to take stuff back to Neverland?" he asked, perching himself on an open dresser drawer.

     "I will need some clothes and shoes.  I can't stay in a nightgown forever." She said, removing a raggedy pair of pants from the drawer he happened to be sitting on.  After she had gotten the clothes she needed, she looked around the room.  "It doesn't look like home."  she said.  Just then, the walls around her started to shiver and shake.

     "Peter!  What's happening!" she screamed as pieces of drywall from the roof fell around her.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 

(I don't want to sound mean, but…._Authors note: Plain and simple.  Don't like?  Don't read.  It's as easy as that.  When you write your story, you can write the characters however you want.  Thank you!_)

     "I forgot to tell you!  You can only stay in the mirror for so long, or else it starts to disintegrate before your eyes!"  Peter yelled as he shielded his head from the falling roof.  "We have got to get out of here!"

     "Then how do we get out! "  Katrina shouted, trying to take cover from the debris.

     "This way!"  Peter yelped as a large piece of roof fell on his foot, making him leap into the air in pain.  They ran back into the hallway, stopping suddenly as they saw the adults walking in the hall, blocking the exit path.  They seemed oblivious to the house falling around them, but just kept walking.

     "What do we do?"  Katrina asked Peter as the parents kept walking closer to them.

     "I don't know!  This has never happened before!  My guess: Go through them!"  Peter suggested as he stepped back.  They took a couple of steps back, and putting their arms up to shield their faces, ran right through the bodies of the adults.  They reached the place they were standing in when they walked into the mirror, and stood in front of a gaping white light.  Peter put his fingers up to his mouth and gave a shrill whistle, causing Tinkerbell to appear in the middle of that light.

     "You rang?" she said sarcastically, putting her tiny hand on her hip.

     "Get us outta here!"  Peter yelled, still trying to ward off falling pieces of ceiling.

     "And the magic word is….?"  Tinkerbell asked evilly, examining her nails, and messing with her wings.

     Peter's face grew dark, with a look so livid that it could have melted steel if he had tried.  "Magic _Words._  Banishment.  Forever.  And always.  And also a few choice four letter ones, too."

     Tink shrugged.  "Fine.  Have it your way."  She reached up, and pushed on a beam of light.  Suddenly, Peter and Katrina were back in the cove where they had started their 'adventure' into the real world.

     Peter collapsed onto a fallen log.  "That was strange.  Usually if I'm in there too long, all it does is fizzle out, not completely fall apart.  Tink?  Any ideas?"  Tinkerbell peeked around from the leaf she was sitting on.  "What was the last thing you said before it started to fall apart?"

     Katrina thought back to the strange happenings, reviewing everything she had said.  "I said it didn't look like home anymore."

     "There it is!"  Peter said, leaping up.  "It isn't your home anymore!  Now Neverland is your home!  You don't need that house!"  He crowed triumphantly, floating a few good feet off the ground.  "Gosh, I'm smart!" he beamed.

     "And freaking modest, too."  Tinkerbell muttered in Katrina's ear.  "Bound to this flying ego trip for thousands upon thousands of years, and he still hasn't learned anything about modesty yet!  I give up."

     "Tinkerbell…" a warning voice came out of the treetops.

(_Authors note:  Sorry so short, I have to go to bed and had to get something posted so that my readers wouldn't get angry for not writing for so long.)_


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 

     The troupe set back out for the home underground, but Peter swiftly turned around, causing Katrina to crash right into his back.  

     "Why are we walking?" he pondered, jumping up to a fallen log.  "We can fly!"

     Katrina just stared at him.  "All this time walking, and we could have flown?  Why you…"  She lunged at him, just barely reaching his throat before he floated to the top of a tree.

     "C'mon now, it was just a mistake!  I forgot!"  He hollered as he dodged the rocks being thrown at him.  

     "Forgot?  My fairy as—" Tink started, but quickly stopped, seeing as how she was facing a very sharp arrow.  Katrina was facing that same problem, but to a greater extent.  She had a dagger digging into her backbone, and she was sure that somewhere back there was a bow and arrow.  She was looking down the muzzle of a very rusty looking musket.  She realized that they were surrounded when she saw the faces of several boys curling out of her line of vision.

     "Shoot them now, Peter?"  One of the boys facing Katrina asked.  "Or are they with you?" 

A glint raced through Peter's eye.  "Nope.  Never seen them before." He declared as he flew down to eye level with the prisoners.  The boy drew back the hammer on the musket.  "Wait!  Don't shoot them!"  Peter shouted, flying in front of the barrel of the musket.  "That's Tink, remember?  She's okay, but the other one," he paused, as he looked at Katrina, mischief showing fully in his gaze.  "Tie her up and take her hostage to the underground home!"  He crowed loudly.  "Or, take her to the Indians!  Maybe they would like to play kidnapping today, instead of just hunting!"

     "Which one, Peter?" a small voice piped up from behind Katrina.  "Hold her hostage, or trade her for one of the Indians for a day?"  

     Peter looked at the boys as they hurriedly tied Katrina's hands behind her back, and tied a gag around her mouth.  He paced in front of them for a moment, and then bellowed,  "Lost boys, form ranks!"

     The boys then all scurried in front of Peter, lining up by height and size.  Peter marched in front of them, and stopped in front of the smallest. 

     "Very good, Tootles.  You got right in back, and took us by surprise." He stood in front of another.  "Nibs, you need to be quicker with that crossbow.  You were leaving a hole in the circle that any pirate could get through.  Slightly, why do you carry that old pirate gun?  You have no bullets for it, so why bother?"  He took the gun from Slightly, who yelped in protest.

     "Peter!  Watch—" Peter dodged the bullet that went whizzing by his head after he had dropped the gun.

     Slightly hung his head.  "I found bullets for it."  Peter returned the gun to the boy, and resumed his critique. "Twins, go more to the right when you attack, and always move together to confuse the enemy. Curly, sharpen those arrows!  Other than that, you all are doing fine at your attacks."

     "Thank you Peter!  They all chorused, clambering to get his attention.  Katrina, however, was bound and gagged, so she was trying her hardest to let Peter know that she was still there.  Tinkerbell had tried to help untie her, but to no avail.  When the Lost Boys tied knots, they were quite good at it.  

     "Peter," Tinkerbell called, "Let her go now, please."

Peter whirled around to find Katrina sitting where she had fallen in her attempts to get hold of Peter.  

     "Oh yeah!  Lost Boys, cut her loose!"  He ordered, pulling the gag from her mouth.  "Sorry about that." He whispered, a sheepish grin pulling at the corners of his mouth.  "We were training on how to attack."  He grabbed her by the hand, and escorted her in front of the group.  "Lost Boys, " he began, "this lovely lady is Katrina Schafer.  She is a lady, and I expect her to be treated as one.  Understand?  Now show your respects, boys."  He bowed majestically, and led her to a tree stump to sit down.  One by one, the boys filed in front of her, doffed their caps, and bowed just as Peter had taught them from his many attendances at the fairy ceremonies.  Now when that was through, the boys crowded around Katrina and asked her questions. 

     "Where did Peter bring you from?"  Nibs asked, pulling his legs up underneath him as he sat crisscross on the ground.

     "Are you here to be our mother?" said Curly as he brought an arrow from his belt and absentmindedly started to sharpen it.

     "Do you know lots of stories?"  Tootles said innocently, climbing in her lap like a little child.  "Peter doesn't know any _good_ stories anymore." 

Peter chuckled softly to himself, and it quickly grew into a loud laugh as he heard Tootles' question.  "Enough questions for now!  She is here to stay!"

A gasp of awe went through the rag-tag group.

"For good?"

"And always?" the twins asked, tugging on Peter's shirttail. 

"Yes."  Katrina answered, coddling the child on her lap.  "For good and always."


	11. Chapter 11

_*A.N. yes, I know the chapters are short, but being grounded from the computer doesn't help very much.  This is the first day that I am allowed back on the computer, and I have still lost all TV privileges until further notice.  Good news though: I have found my Peter Pan book.  (I had lost it for a while.)  This chapter compensates for the other short one.  *_ Chapter 11 

Peter, Tinkerbell, and the lost boys lead Katrina to a shady grove of trees, where Katrina was sure that they had passed by before.  

     "Well, here we are!"  Peter exclaimed, flinging his arms out and doing loop-the-loops around the numerous trees.  "Katrina, this is our home!"

     "Yes," Katrina said, but with some uncertainty, "but where are we?"

Peter answered with a shrug.  "A hand's breadth from adulthood, a fist-hold away from childhood, and a hop, skip, and a jump from dreams."  Of course, this all meant nothing to those who were directionally inclined, but it made perfect sense to Peter, as much of his nonsense of this sort did.  "You will learn how to get here by necessity, but as for directions, all I can tell you is take a turn at Skull Rock and head toward this grove."

     "All right, I guess that I will learn quick enough."  Katrina replied. 

     "Peter!  Peter!  Guess what Hook tried to do while you were away!" one of the twins said excitedly, jumping up and down.  Katrina faced Peter.  "Hook?  I thought he was dead."

     "Who, him?  He's too stubborn a codfish to just up and die."  Peter said, twirling his knife in his hands.  "What gave you that idea?"

     "Your book.  Mr. Barrie's book.  Whosever book it is!  This one!"  She exclaimed, holding up the copy of _Peter Pan_ that she had gotten from the house.

     "Are those stories?" was the collective yell from all the lost boys when they saw the book produced.  "Read them to us!" they cried, trying to push her to a hollow tree.  For if it is known one thing about the Lost Boys, it is this: they love stories to a point of which they would do anything to get to them. 

     "Boys…" came the warning tone from Peter.  He knew that she needed a tree to get into the dwelling; otherwise she could possibly get stuck in the house, since she had no means of getting back up out of the tree.  While he was not very sensible at times, he was quite practical at the most comical things.  "We need to get her a tree, so that she can get out of our house as well as in."  Therefore, that was their next order of business.  The boys quickly dove into their trees, and emerged with hatchets to find a hollow tree for their leader.  While they were gone, Peter turned to Katrina and asked, "Where does it say Hook dies?"  Katrina picked up the book from where she had dropped it, and flipped to the back.  Seeing as how Peter had flown high enough to read over her shoulder, she pointed out where the paragraph began.  She cleared her throat, and began reading in a hushed tone, 

            i_"James Hook, thou not wholly unheroic figure, farewell._  

_For we have come upon his last moment._

Seeing Peter slowly advancing upon him through the air with dagger poised, he sprang upon the bulwarks to cast himself into the sea.  He did not know that the crocodile was waiting for him; for we purposefully stopped the clock that this knowledge might be spared him: a little mark of respect from us at the end." /i

Peter had floated down to the ground, and was now looking up at Katrina in awe, unblinking for quite a long time, in which his eyes sparkled and danced with every word.  Katrina paused, and read the final sentence, with all the dramatics she could muster.

_            i"He had one last triumph, which I think we need not grudge him.  As he stood on the bulwark looking over his shoulder at Peter gliding through the air, he invited Peter with a gesture to use his foot.  It made Peter kick instead of stab._

_At last Hook had gotten the boon for which he craved._

_            'Bad form,' he cried jeeringly, and went content to the crocodile._

            Thus perished James Hook"/i 

Katrina closed the book, watching the shiver of delight that went through Peter.

     "It is so deliciously sinister, the ending of Hook to be such as that!"  Peter whispered with delight, the merriment showing in his countenance.  He soared up to a branch of a tree, and began swinging about on it.

     "Peter," Katrina asked cautiously, " you do know it is just a story, right?" she moved to where she could see into his eyes.  "Hook is still alive and well, and wants very much to kill you."  She knew just from rumor and legend that he often times took pretend to a level of belief, and she wasn't sure that Peter knew the difference right now.

     "Oh, I know."  Peter answered with a wave.  "But it is one more victory that I can lord over Hook!"  He laughed in glee, causing Katrina to think that the sun was shining brighter, and unbeknownst to her, it was.  "Hook gets so furious when I win, and it is even better that I have written proof!"  He plummeted down to earth, stopping just in front of Katrina.  "Think how livid he would be if he found out that in the end, I win!  He would come back and haunt me from the grave, if he could!"

     "What do you mean, 'if he could'" Katrina inquired.

     "Hook can never leave here!  Even if he wanted to be killed, there is always some way that he has to stay living!  If I could count the near death experiences that he has lived to tell about, it would be a staggering number!  The only way that he can ever get out of Neverland is if I release him, and that is not happening anytime soon."

     "Why not?"

     "Think of how bad he is now.  He used to be the most feared pirate to sail the Spanish Main!"  Peter boasted with pride.  Suddenly his tone grew serious.  "Do you really want him out in the other world, wreaking havoc on the seas again, or would you like him to stay here with me?  I can promise you that if I let him go, terror would be on the high seas to an extent of which has never been seen before!"  Peter crowed.  "And that is why he stays here with me.  It really is a much better option, don't you think?"

     "Yes, now that you mention it, it would be."  Katrina gasped in surprise as she saw a horde of boys coming out of the forest, lugging several hollow trees between them

     "These are the ones we found, Peter!" the twins said in unison, each presenting their tree to him.

     "Remember?  Only one tree!  I can alter the person."  Peter reminded the boys.  He looked up and down the trees, then back at Katrina.  "You two.  Take that tree, and give it to the fairies to put back into the ground." he said, pointing to Tootles and Slightly.  "You, and you," he instructed the Twins, "Put that tree into the ground and dig another hole into the home."

     "But Peter," questioned Curly, "what about Wendy's old house that we built?  Won't it work?"     

Peter thought about it for a moment, then started laughing.  

     "It won't work!  Last time Hook tried to find us, he saw the house and went inside!  His legs got stuck through the bottom, and he wore it all the way back to the ship.  Smee had to cut him out of it."  He stood up taller, his countenance darkening as he spoke.  "Besides, the pirates are getting closer to the island, and she would be better off sleeping underground where Hook won't find her."  

     When Peter spoke of pirates, the lost boys knew to take note of what he said, and it was probably best to agree with him.  The remaining boys (including Peter) set about digging the hole down into the house, and when Tootles and Slightly returned, they too were set to work on digging into the house.  They finally dug deep enough, and placed the tree upright.  Katrina was given specific instructions on how to go up and down in her tree, and after a few alterations by Peter she was able to ascend and descend into the house in the same manner as the boys.

     At the end of the day, (or whenever Peter decided it was the end) they all went down into the house to pretend-eat their evening meal.  There was a slight discrepancy over where Katrina was to sleep, but after a few moments of convincing, Peter convinced her to sleep in his bed, and like a gentleman, he would sleep in a hammock in the main room with the other boys.  

     Thus ends a day in Neverland.  May they sleep in peace, for tomorrow they never know what is in store for them.


	12. Chapter 12

(For those of you who forgot, ~you know who you are;-)~ you can go into the home underground by means of a hollow tree. The book can describe it much better than I can.  
  
One of the first things Peter did next day was to measure Wendy and John and Michael for hollow trees. Hook, you remember, had sneered at the boys for thinking they needed a tree apiece, but this was ignorance, for unless your tree fitted you it was difficult to go up and down, and no two of the boys were quite the same size. Once you fitted, you drew in your breath at the top, and down you went at exactly the right speed, while to ascend you drew in and let out alternately, and so wriggled up. Of course, when you have mastered the action you are able to do these things without thinking of them, and nothing can be more graceful. But you simply must fit, and Peter measures you for your tree as carefully as for a suit of clothes: the only difference being that the clothes are made to fit you, while you have to be made to fit the tree. Usually it is done quite easily, as by your wearing too many garments or too few, but if you are bumpy in awkward places or the only available tree is an odd shape, Peter does some things to you, and after that you fit. Once you fit, great care must be taken to go on fitting, and this, as Wendy was to discover to her delight, keeps a whole family in perfect condition. -Peter Pan, by Sir James Matthew Barrie Therefore, as you see, she can now live in the home underground. Clever, on Mr. Barrie's part, I might add.)  
  
Chapter 12  
  
Whilst the adolescents slept, Hook had other things on his mind. When the Lost Boys had "captured" the girls and Peter, they had actually been trailing a pirate. Unbeknownst to them, the pirate had seen everything that occurred, and ran all the way back to the ship to let Captain Hook know about it.  
"Another mother for the boys? Drat that Pan!" Hook yelled, nearly spearing the pirate who had brought the message with his hook. "Find out all you can about her! We need a way to barter with the boy to get him here." The cowering pirate said "Ay," then went below deck to prepare for his journey.  
  
The next morning, Katrina rolled over in bed sleepily to find Peter sitting in the air waiting for her to wake up.  
"Whaddaya want?" she grunted, pulling the blankets up over her head to block out the light.  
"Wake up!" Peter growled playfully. He grabbed the blanket underneath her and pulled sharply, making Katrina land flat on her derriere.  
"What did you do that for?" Katrina muttered, rubbing her now sore rear.  
"You can't very well learn how to fly when you are asleep, can you?" Peter called, flying out of the room. It took a while to set in, but soon Katrina was out in the big hollow of the home underground, dodging toadstool chairs and the table set up for the mornings breakfast. "What do you mean, fly?" she asked, leaping over an overturned chair in her attempts to catch up to Peter. He continued to fly about the room, delighted in his new game.  
"I mean," he said abruptly, stopping mere inches from her face, "that you are flying today." He flew back into his room, where Katrina's clothes were. "Put these on." he said, throwing a raggedy pair of pants and a t- shirt her way. "You don't want to fly in your nightdress." With that, he left the room, leaving Katrina to hurriedly pull on the clothes and ascend her tree. Now, Peter was waiting for Katrina to get dressed, and being the impatient one he was, he closed his eyes and started to think about all the happenings of the day before. Why her? He thought. Why would she be the one to become part of Neverland? Just then, his thoughts were broken by the crunch of a twig behind him. He whirled around, eyes still closed, pulling the dagger from his belt while twisting the person's arm back behind them and held the dagger to the intruder's throat. Opening his eyes, he was met with a shock. He had tried to attack Katrina, and now the girl was waiting patiently for him to release her. He let go immediately, stuttering and stammering apologies with a reddened face.  
"I thought.I mean.pirates, redskins." he searched for the right words to say, playing with the dagger he held in his hands. "Want to learn how to fly?" he asked finally, looking up.  
Katrina nodded her head, eyes shining. They started walking, Katrina following Peter as he pointed out numerous places of interest.  
"That there is a fairy circle, where fairies danced all night last night." he said, pointing to a large circle of tiny mushrooms. "Usually I play for them, but I didn't feel like it." he shrugged. "Watch where you walk, all the silly ones who danced and drank too much are still lying about, sleeping."  
"My grandmother used to tell me about fairy rings." Katrina murmured. "I wish I could see them dance." she said wistfully. A sparkle came to Peter's eye. He reached to the side of his belt, pulled out a set of pipes, and fingered them eagerly.  
"Would you like to see them dance?" he asked her excitedly.  
"Peter, you mean-"  
"Yes! If I play, they are silly enough to keep dancing, even if they are tremendously tired." Peter told her, the twinkle in his eye madly racing now.  
"Please play! I would love to see a fairy ball!" Katrina begged.  
"I can't promise a fairy ball, but I can get them to dance." The Artful One pledged, waving his hand towards the sleeping fairies.  
"Play away, my little man!" Katrina teased, pulling a large toadstool out of the ground and setting it in the middle of the ring. Peter flew over the sleeping fairies, settled himself on the toadstool, and raised the pipes to his lips. Looking at Katrina, he gestured to her with his eyes to sit down. She did, as the first few notes of a blissful melody began to come forth from the pipes. Peter played a slow piece of music that sounded like it was meant for people to wake up, and lo and behold, the fairies started to stretch their wings and yawn, rubbing the sleep out of their eyes. They sat up, looking around at their surroundings, and began to stand, brushing the wrinkles out of the tiny garments adorning them. Peter looked over at Katrina, winked, and sped the tune up to that of a waltz. The fairies immediately paired off, spinning and swirling in the midst of the ring, tipping their hats at Peter, who nodded back appreciatively.  
A young fairy flew up to Peter's ear, whispering in his ear. Peter nodded at the fairy miss, and sped the tune up to a tarantella. A general yell of delight went up from the fairy crowd, and they started to whirl, the men folk doing a sort of jig with the girls spinning madly about them. Katrina saw that a few fairies had pulled out their own instruments, and accompanied Peter in the tune. At that point, they were trying to get Peter to switch to a swing tune, and he couldn't get the timing right. Katrina laughed silently, until she couldn't stand it anymore. She stood up, pulling Peter out of the middle of the circle, and grasped his hands.  
"Listen to the tempo." she advised.  
"Why-" Peter started but he was quickly shushed.  
"Just do it." Katrina told him. When she could see he could plainly hear the beat, she looked him in the eyes. "Got it?"  
"Yeah." he began again.  
"Now dance." she told him, showing him the steps for swing dancing. He learned quickly, and started to wave to the fairy band to speed up the tempo.  
"Do they know some songs from the other world?" Katrina asked in the middle of a spin.  
"Yeah!" Peter grinned. "Most of them do!" Now the gleam was in Katrina's eye, and frankly, it scared Peter. She yelled out, "Sing, Sing, Sing" and soon the fast tempo of Benny Goodman's greatest swing hit began. The fairies were dancing as quickly as whirling dervishes, and Peter was having a hard time keeping up with the beat. The beat pounded through the forest, and fairies from all over Neverland began to appear from the trees. The few fairy musicians had now increased in number, with several dancing on Indian tom toms to make the drumbeats for the song, and the rest wailing on homemade flutes and hodgepodge clarinets. As they kept on dancing, Katrina wondered how with all the noise, the pirates didn't find them. She voiced her question into Peter's ear, and he shrugged it off.  
"Fairy magic!" he explained with a bewildered expression. "I don't understand it either!" He looked around. "There have been nights when the pirates have walked right into the middle of a ball, and then walked right out without knowing we were there. I was sure that they would capture us." Just then, the song changed to Glenn Miller's "In the Mood" and Peter pulled Katrina aside out of the dancing.  
"Where did you learn how to dance like that?" he gasped, falling to the forest floor.  
"My grandmother." Katrina replied with a smirk. "She was a five-foot- two ball of fire!" Peter panted for air. "Tell-her-" he laughed, "Thanks!" (A/N *hah! You thought she was going to learn how to fly, didn't ya? Well, so did I. Hmm. Maybe next chapter! The chapters all depend on my mood, and right now, my mood is.. Dance-y. Laters! *) 


	13. Chapter 13

(Quick little A/N note-*I SAW THE MOVIE!!!!!  I LOVE IT!!!!  I WANT TO OWN IT!!!!  YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!  Okay, enough of my little spaz moments. Now, back to the story. P.s., I really shouldn't, but I think I might have a wee bit of a crush on Jeremy Sumpter.  *)

Chapter 13 

     Now, as you might recall, I told you of a pirate that was following Peter and Katrina, tracking their every move.  This pirate, though not the smartest of the group, had been the best at hunting, therefore also being the best at tracking, so he was assigned to trail the children.  It had been several nights and days since he had left the ship, but he could not tell if it was an actual day, or just the changing of Peter's moods. In fact, no one on the Neverland can quite be sure of the days, seeing as how if Peter wants it to be a Saturday, it quite often becomes a Saturday, just to please him.  So is the climate and times of which our crew of pirates and children live in, and it seems to fit the Neverlands rather nicely.

     Quite often, this changing of days and times infuriated the pirate, especially if it had just been his day off, then switched to be the day that he was assigned to swab the decks.  He gave a loud growl of anger, just after he saw the sun go down right after it had been the middle of the afternoon, and he collapsed on a mossy glade, settling for his nap.

     Peter gave a loud howl of frustration, and drove his sword right into a tree trunk.  "Why is it so hard for you to grasp the concept, if there is even a concept to it, of flying?"  he snarled at Katrina.  He was getting rather tired of having to explain something that he himself didn't even understand.  How could she not get it?  Flying to him had always been something of a second nature, more familiar than even walking, and now he was having to give a step-by-step analysis of something that shouldn't _have_ to be explained.

     "But how do I do it?" Katrina asked for what seemed to Peter to be the hundredth time.

     "I don't know!"  Peter retorted sharply.  "I forgot how to explain it." he answered, sorry for the way he had snapped.  Katrina looked into his eyes, searching for any hint of rememberance.  

     "What is the matter, Peter?  Why can't you remember?"  Katrina asked.  She knew that from time to time he experienced some severe memory loss, even stopping in mid sentence one day to ask who she was. 

     "I don't know.  It always happens this way!  I have something that I was so looking forward to doing, and then I can't remember well enough to be able to do it.  " he sighed.  "All I remember about flying is that you need happy thoughts, and from what I have seen with your many intimate encounters with the ground, is that you don't have any.

     "And what is the matter with that?" Katrina inquired, sitting down on a close-by log.

     "if you cant find any thoughts, then you can't fly. " Peter went on.  "If you can't fly, then Hook might catch you and kill you.  Also, if you can't prove that you have happy thoughts before a certain time, then by all fairy regulations, you must be banished from Neverland."

     Katrina felt a chill go through her.  "And, this time limit is…"

Peter sighed, looking over at her with sadness in his gaze.  "The rest of today."

_"Happy thoughts.  Okay, I need happy thoughts."  Katrina_ frantically thought to herself.  _"Home, parents…okay, no good.  Here, Peter, flying, fairies, mermaids—oops, scratch mermaids!" _ she thought, since Peter had warned her about the mermaids.  

     It has now occurred to me that although Peter had warned her, he had forgotten to warn us about the Mermaids.  Mermaids aren't always how they appear in storybooks.  Where in tales they are portrayed as good and beautiful creatures, in real life they are murderous, luring creatures that would rather drown you than look at you.  Many a time has an innocent sailor been sent to the deep at the hands of the mermaids.  Many a boy had been lost there also; much to the dismay of Peter, who was the only one that could freely converse with them without fear of imminent death.  The mermaids simply adored Peter, and loved to sit and chat with him for hours, but if any other person dared to come by, they would bare their teeth and slip away quietly.

    However, for the moment, our characters are spared the mermaids, and Katrina is hard at work, focusing at the task of flying.  

     "Just trust me, it will work!"  Peter whispered, grasping both her hands.  "It is like learning to walk, I suppose.  Just take little baby steps, and you'll do fine."

     "Okay."  Katrina sighed.  She closed her eyes, and remembered a smile.  The smile that had brought her through hard times, and the one that beamed at her now.  She opened her eyes slowly, meeting Peter's.  _I thought he was taller than me… _she thought, and then realized that she was floating horizontally, laying out flat on the air.  Peter still held on to her hands, and walked backwards.  

     "Now try to go forwards."  He said, grinning at the cleverness of him.  He probably thought he had done it himself, the conceited devil, but we cannot berate Peter for this, for it is of his nature.  She complied, and went forwards, increasing her speed until Peter had to take to the air to keep up.  Now, as we read this, it might seem that Katrina was a natural.  The truth was, she was not, and could not help but bump into Peter and things, such as they all do when they learn how to fly.  Peter in fact had to coax her along quite a bit, actually, but it makes it sound a lot nicer and not so tedious to just say that she could do everything easily.  

     Katrina had been flying a grand total of what seemed to be thirty minutes now, and was taking great delight in being able to fly around things like trees and such, but woe is us, for when she flew around a resting willow, she spotted a pirate.  

     "Peter!" she yelled, "Pirate!"  She tried her hardest to fly back to Peter, but with her skills not being fully honed, she didn't rise quickly enough, and was seized by the now completely awakened pirate.  The pirate seized her roughly by the foot, and grabbing her round the waist tightly, set off running for the _Jolly Rodger_.  Now, Peter was in full pursuit, except realizing he had no weapon, he set back for where he had thrown it.  He recovered the forgotten weapon, but by the time he reached said clearing, the pirate and Katrina were gone.

      One name graced Peter's lips before he started the hunt to the _Jolly Rodger_.

      "Hook!"


	14. Chapter 14

_(A/N: Captain Fuzzyface, this one's for you!  You know who you are!!!)_

Chapter 14 

The terrible word spread on Peter's lips like a haunting refrain, causing the woods around him to grow dark.  He came upon the crossing to Kidds Creek, near the mouth of the Pirate River, and took to the air, trying to reach the boat.  What he saw from his altitude was Katrina, being pushed and shoved around the deck in a ring of pirates, all jeering and laughing at her terrified expression.  Onto the deck stepped the most terrifying pirate of all: the dreaded Captain Jas.  Hook.  He was everything that nightmares are made of, starting from the rakish tilt of his hat, down to the blood stains on his boots.  The most horrifying thing about him was his eyes.  Made of the most melancholy blue, they now glowed as two red orbs, ready to strike fear into the hearts of sleeping children.  All action stopped when he stepped forward, facing Katrina.

     "Now, my dear, tell me your name."  Hook purred, with his best behavior.  "I can tell that you aren't quite like the other girls Peter has brought, and may have better manners than they did."  He laughed when Katrina stepped back from his advancing form.  "Come now, you know as well as I do that Pan will be here soon, so we had best get all the formalities out of the way.  I," he said, with a tip of his hat, "am James Hook, Captain of this fine vessel that you are standing on.  Now, it is quite customary for you to tell me your name, unless you have grown rather accustom to the sound of 'Girl'"

     "I am Katrina Schafer," she said, curtsying more out of habit than respect.  "And I despise the very ground you walk on, Captain."

     "Ah, so nice to finally see a friendly face."  Hook replied mockingly.  "Now, if you don't mind, haul your carcass over to that mast, so that we can celebrate Pan's downfall."  Katrina obliged, since the sharp end of a hook was placed at her throat, and with pirates all around, she really had no other option.  She was escorted over to an old barrel, and seated, a glass placed in her hand by Starkey.

     "What's this for, Captain?" she asked, holding up the glass.

     "Tis for a toast, m'dear." The Captain answered, retrieving a bottle from Smee.  "A toast, to what Pan once was, and to what he will soon be."  He filled his own glass, then tipped some into Katrina's.

     "And we mustn't forget Peter's."  Hook chuckled, filling a glass on the railing of the ship.  He held the glass high, and proceeded.  "A toast!  To Pan, in life, and in _death_!"  He quickly downed his, and Katrina took a sip of hers, and spat it back out. 

     "What is this?" she cried, wiping droplets of the liquid off her lips.

     "It is only whiskey."

     "Whiskey?  But…but…" she stammered, never having drunk hard alcohol in her life.

     "This is a pirate ship.  Did you expect anything less?"  Hook jeered, raising his own glass to inspect the quality of the remaining liquid.  "Now, Pan should be arriving shortly, and my men will see to it that you remain quiet.  It is in my plans that Pan, being the cocky hellion that he is, will drink with me, and the whiskey will somehow, someway, take the innocence out of his damnable body.  If that doesn't work, then we use you as bait.  Have we come to an accord, Miss Schafer?"

     "I hate you, Captain."  Katrina replied, looking into his eyes.  "Peter will win, and you will never be the victor.  Have we come to an accord?"

     "Quite."  Hook sneered.  "Men, hide her.  Surround her with your bodies, if you must.  Just keep her hidden!"

     "Aye, sir!" the pirates yelled, and dragged the horrified girl to a little recess in the boat's platform.  A large pirate with his hands fixed on backwards slapped a sweaty paw over her mouth, and held her hands behind her back with the other hand.

     "Me name's Noodler, missy, and if ye wish te keep yer life, then ye'll carry on with silence!"  he growled, the stench of his breath making Katrina want to gag.  She had a clear view of the deck, and watched as Hook scanned the horizon for the approaching Peter.  Finally, she saw a crooked smile start to creep over Hooks' face, and he drew his sword in anticipation.  

     "Hello, Peter."  He menacingly said, as Peters' feet touched deck.  "How have you been this fine day?" 

     Peter advanced on him, sword drawn.  "Where is she?" he growled, ever ready to kill all in search of his lost prey.

 Hook laughed.  "She is fine, Peter, and is enjoying the company of my men."  He noted the look of concern on Peter's face, and added, "Be assured, my men are gentleman, and while I am captain of this ship, they would never harm a lady."

Peter's face relaxed a bit, then he noted the glass of liquid on the deck rail.  

     "What is this, Hook?" he asked, picking up the glass and peering into it.

     "It is for a toast, Peter, in the honor of the upcoming battle."  Hook sauntered over to his own glass, refilling it and holding the glass high, once again.  "Pan, that one is yours."

     Peter cautiously sniffed, the liquid, not sure if it was safe to drink.

     "Pan, if I had wanted to kill you, I would have done it already.  Just drink it!"  Hook shouted.  As he did, Katrina saw a small vile of yellow liquid sitting near the bottle of whiskey.  She knew from her book that it was Hooks' poison, the one that he always carried on him, and she realized with terror what was about to take place.

She promptly bit down on Noodler's hand, causing him to shriek in pain and release her.  She quickly yelled, "Poison, Peter!" and he dropped the deadly glass to the deck.  Hook was enraged!  He drew his cutlass, yelling frantically for his men to "Kill him!" but Peter was faster than that.  He ran an oncoming pirate through, and pulling his sword from the body, blocked one of Hook's blows.  The pirates quickly ceased with their attacks, the cowardly dogs, and now the battle began between man and child.  Each was able to deflect the other's blade, yet Hooks' taunts were the only thing keeping Peter from making the final blow.  

     "How have your nightmares been, Peter, now that you have a mother here again?"  Hook yelled, his sword sweeping over Peter's ducked head.  "Are they still about me, killing you and making your head a trophy on my wall?"  Peter didn't respond, only choosing to dive forward in another attempt to drive the steel home.

     "Answer me boy!  Is it still my face that haunts your darkest nightmares?"  Hook yelled, clashing swords with the youth.  "Or does the image of David's dying and lifeless body flood your terrifying dreams?"

     Peter lunged, a cry of frustration coming from his clenched teeth.  He fought madly, but foolishly, never quite striking where he intended.  True, he got in a few injuring strikes, but none that would prove fatal.  Swords locked, bringing man and boy together.  Hook leaned forward, pinning Peter to the cannons.

     "What's the matter?  Are you scared you'll end up like me?  Full of hate, and angry, such as a _grown man_ is?  Waiting anxiously each day for your dying breath?" he seethed, taunting Peter with every word.

      Peter couldn't take it any longer, and kicked Hook with all his might, sending the captain hurtling back towards the brig.  

     Peter grabbed the pirate holding Katrina, and sliced his neck swiftly.  He grabbed Katrina by the waist, not having time to rely on her flying skills, and flew back to the home, where he immediately dropped to his bed, and remained there till he fell into a deep sleep. 

     The lost boys knew better than to still roam about the home, for if they woke Peter, he would be in a frightfully bad temper.  So instead, they retired to their giant bed, leaving Katrina to sit and dwell on the events of the day.  She must have fallen asleep, for in a moment she was roused by a sharp wail.  She jumped up, and ran into Pan's room, where the lost boys were surrounding his bed.

     "What's happening to him?" she demanded, running to wake him.  All the Lost Boys jumped, restraining her, and the hand that was about to touch his shoulder. 

     "Don't touch him!"  was the cry from the twins, each holding her arms as Peter emitted another terrible scream.

     "He's having one of his nightmares again."  Slightly explained.  "It's best not to touch him when he is like this, lest ye want to end up like David."

     "Who's David?" 

Nibs removed his cap.  "David used to be a Lost Boy.  He had a name like ours, but we can't remember it anymore.  Something ridiculous like 'Sims', I suppose.  Anyways, Peter's dreams used to trouble David so much, that one night, when Peter was howling like this, David decided to try to wake him."  

     "What happened?" asked Katrina gently.

     "Well, Peter was so startled when he woke, that he thought he was being attacked.  Before he had realized what was happening, he had grabbed his sword, and killed David in cold blood."

     "Right through the heart."  Curly added.  He, in turn, was kicked for this addition, and quickly silenced.

     "Many times in his nightmares now, he yells out David's name, same as he did the night he killed him, right after he realized what he had done." Slightly continued.

     "Peter forgets things, and ever so many people, but even though we'll be forgotten when we die, Peter never has forgotten David."  Said Nibs, gazing over at the fitful and moaning Pan.

     "Bad thing is, Hook found out about it from a drunken fairy, and had used it against Peter ever since."  Tootles mumbled.

     Just then, Peter gave a loud shriek, making all the children jump.  He screamed, "No!" sitting up sharply in bed, looking around frantically, and breathing heavily.

     The lost boys pushed Katrina towards him.

     "Now you can help."  Slightly whispered in her ear, pushing her the final step towards Peter.  "Talk to him!"


End file.
